Illustrations of the Book of Proverbs - Gordon College Faculty

Laws from Heaven for Life on Earth.
ILLUSTRATIONS OF THE BOOK OF PROVERBS.
BY THE
REV. WILLIAM ARNOT,
ST. PETER'S FREE CLIMB, GLASGOW.
First Series.
Vol. 1. LONDON;
T. NELSON AND SONS, PATERNOSTER ROW;
EDINBURGH; AND NEW YORK.
MDCCCLXIII. TO THE READER. THESE illustrations of the Proverbs are not critical, con-
tinuous, exhaustive. The comments, in imitation of the
text, are intended to be brief, practical, miscellaneous,
isolated. The reader may, however, perceive a principle
of unity running through the whole, if he takes his stand
at the outset on the writer's view point-a desire to
lay the Christian System along the surface of common
life, without removing it from its foundations in the
doctrines of Grace. The authority of the instructions
must be divine: the form transparently human. Al-
though the lessons should, with a pliant familiarity, lay
themselves along the line of men's thoughts and actions,
they will work no deliverance, unless redeeming love be
everywhere the power to press them in. On the other
hand, although evangelical doctrine be consistently main-
tained throughout, the teaching will come short of its
purpose unless it go right into every crevice of a corrupt
heart, and perseveringly double every turn of a crooked
path. Without "the love wherewith He loved us" as
our motive power, we cannot reach for healing any of the
deeper ailments of the world: but having such a power
within our reach, we should not leave it dangling in the
air; we should bring it down, and make it bear on every iv TO THE READER. sorrow that afflicts, and every sin that defiles humanity.
The two extremes to be avoided are, abstract unpractical
speculation, and shallow, powerless, heathen morality; the
one a soul without a body, the other a body without a
soul-the one a ghost, the other a carcass. The aim is
to be doctrinal without losing our hold of earth, and
practical without losing our hold of heaven.
Most certain it is that if the Church at any period, or
any portion of the Church, has fallen into either of these
extremes, it has been her own fault; for the Bible, her
standard, is clear from both imputations. Christ is its
subject and its substance. His word is like Himself.
It is of heaven, but it lays itself closely around the life
of men. Such is the Bible; and such, in their own
place and measure, should our expositions of it be.
Had our object been a critical exposition of the Book,
it would have been our duty to devote the larger share of
our attention to the more difficult parts. But our aim from
first to last has been more to apply the obvious than to
elucidate the obscure, and the selection of texts has been
determined accordingly. As there is diversity of gifts,
there should be division of labour. While scientific
inquirers re-examine the joints of the machine, and
demonstrate anew the principles of its construction, it
may not be amiss that a workman should set the machine
a-going, and try its effects on the affairs of life.
W. A. CONTENTS. Page
I. THE PREACHER 9
II. THE BOOK-PROVERBS 15
III. THE ROOT OF KNOWLEDGE 19
IV. THE FAMILY 25
V. FILIAL LOVE A BLOSSOM OF BEAUTY 30
VI. THE FOE AND THE FIGHT 34
VII. FILTHY LUCRE 57
VIII. THE CRY OF WISDOM 64
IX. A REVIVAL 72
X. SOWING DISOBEDIENCE, REAPING JUDGMENT 78
XI. SEEK AND YE SHALL FIND 88
XII. PERILS IN THE DEEP 97
XIII. THE MEANS OF SAFETY 104
XIV. A GOOD MEMORY 106
XV. THE ART OF PRINTING 110
XVI. TRUST 116
XVII. THE HEALTH OF HOLINESS 121
XVIII. CAPITAL AND PROFIT 123
XIX. A FATHERLY WORD ON FATHERLY CORRECTION 126
XX. TREASURES FOR THE TAKING 134
XXI. GAINFUL MERCHANDISE 136
XXII. LENGTH OF DAYS IN THE HAND OF WISDOM 139
XXIII. A PLEASANT PATH 142 vi CONTENTS.
Page
XXIV. WISDOM MAKING AND MANAGING WORLDS 144
XXV. CONFIDENCE IN GOD THE TRUE SAFEGUARD FROM
TEMPTATION 147
XXVI. THE RIGHT THING DONE AT THE RIGHT TIME 152
XXVII. THE CURSE AND THE BLESSING UPON THE HOUSE 158
XXVIII. PRECEPT AND EXAMPLE 161
XXIX. HOLD FAST 163
XXX. THE PATH OP THE JUST 166
XXXI. THE FOUNTAIN AND ITS STREAM 171
XXXII. FAMILY JOYS 179
XXXIII. THE METHOD OP PROVIDENCE FOR RESTRAINING EVIL 185
XXXIV. SEVEN HATEFUL THINGS 188
XXXV. MOTHER'S LAW 190
XXXVI. THE WORTH Or WISDOM 197
XX XVII. HATE EVIL 200
XXXVIII. RANK AND RICHES 202
XXXIX. THE REDEEMER ANTICIPATING REDEMPTION 205
XL. THE MARRIAGE SUPPER FOR THE KING'S SON 200
XLI. REPROOF 213
XLII. THE TALENT AND ITS PRODUCT 219
XLIII. THE PLEASURES OF SIN 221
XLIV. THE PLACE AND POWER OF A SON 229
XLV. DILIGENT IN BUSINESS 234
XLVI. POSTHUMOUS FAME 236
XLVII. THE WISE TAKE ADVICE: FOOLS ONLY GIVE IT 238
XLVIII. THE CENTRE OF GRAVITY 240
XLIX. THE WELL OF LIFE 242
L. EXPERIENCE KEPT FOR USE 245
LL THE MONEY POWER 247
LII. THE LIPS AND TONGUE 251
LIII. THE BLESSING OF THE LORD MAKETH RICH 254
LIV. A FOOL'S SPORT 261
CONTENTS. vii
Page
LV. FILM REALIZED, AND HOPES FULFILLED 263
LVI. THE PAINING WHIRLWIND AND THE SURE FOUNDATION 273
LVII. THE GREATNESS OF LITTLE THINGS 274
LVIII. HONESTY IS THE BEST POLICY 279
LIX. ASSORTED PAIRS 285
LX. DIPLOMACY 288
LXI. THE DESTROYER OF A NEIGHBOUR 290
LXII. A TALEBEARER 292
LVIII. DEBTS AND SURETIES 294
LXIV. VIRTUE ITS OWN REWARD 303
LXV. EVERY SEED BEARS FRUIT OF ITS OWN KIND 305
LXVI. GOD'S PEOPLE ARE GOD'S DELIGHT 307
LXVII. A JEWEL ILL SET 308
LXVIII. THE DESIRE OF THE RIGHTEOUS 312
LXIX. SCATTERING TO KEEP, AND KEEPING TO SCATTER 315
LXX. THE WATERER IS WATERED 319
LXXI. RAISING THE MARKET-THE PRACTICE AND THE
PENALTY 323
LXXII. THE TREE AND ITS BRANCH 327
LXXIII. THE WISDOM OF WINNING SOULS 333
LXXIV. A BITTER BUT HEALTHFUL MORSEL 336
LXXV. A HUSBAND'S CROWN 340
LXXVI. THE TENDER MERCIES OP THE WICKED 343
LXXVII. LIES, THE SNARE THAT LIARS ARE CAUGHT IN 345
LXXVIII. HOPE DEFERRED 347
LXXIX. GOD'S WORD THE PRESERVER OF NATIONS 350
LXXX. THE HARD WAY 352
LXXXI. THE CHOICE OF COMPANIONS 355
LXXXII. THE FATHER WHO HATES HIS SON 359
LX XXIII. SECULARISM 367
LXXXIV. FLIGHT, THE SAFETY OF THE WEAK 373
LXXXV. SYMPATHY 375
viii CONTENTS.
Page.
LXXXVI. A MAN IS RESPONSIBLE FOR HIS BELIEF 378
LXXXVII. THE BACKSLIDER 384
LXXXVIII. THE TRUSTFUL AND THE TRUTHFUL 388
LXXXIX. THE FOOL'S CONFIDENCE 392
XC. WITNESS 396
XCI. THE PLACE OF REFUGE 401
XCII. ENVY, THE DISEASE AND THE CURE 406
XCIII.